Table of Contents
Introduction LeAnn Thieman 1
1 Claiming My Own
1 The Stuffed Animal Barbara S. Canale 7
2 And His Name Was Nicolas Erin Conroy 11
3 The Curly-Haired Girl Heidi Shelton-Jenck 13
4 Operation Babylift LeAnn Thieman 15
5 The Hidden Blessing Brenda Henn 19
6 A Miracle of joy Sharon Beth Brani 22
7 Entwined Hearts Pamela D. Williams 25
8 Roots Dave Corden 28
9 A Most "Difficult" Child John James 32
2 Discovery
10 Adoption of the Perfect Child Diana M. Amadeo 39
11 A Window into Heaven Stacy Tetschner 44
12 A Child Like Me? Lisa J. Schlitt 48
13 The Postman Kim Toms 50
14 Julia Kathy Pride 54
15 A Gentle Morning Mist Renée Friedman 57
16 Matching Kim McKinney 61
17 On Purpose Jennifer S. Johnson 62
18 Lists David Avrin 64
19 At the Kitchen Table Elizabeth Mallory 66
20 My Mission of Hope Cherie Clark 71
3 Love and More Love
21 He's Yours Cheryl Dieter 79
22 Never Say Never Bryan Clark 82
23 3 AM Feedings Elizabeth Watkins Rhonda Richards-Cohen 84
24 Adopting Amy Joyce Stark 87
25 A Real Little Orphan Annie Amanda Cole 90
26 Shower of Love for Rosita Sharon Gibson 92
27 I Could Not Conceive Valerie Kay Gwin 95
28 A Grandmas Love Nancy O'Neill 97
29 The Navy's Baby Dan E. Kecnan Janet Matthews 102
30 My Really Son Rose Godfrey 106
4 Divine Intervention
31 Our New Family Picture Sharon M. Yager 113
32 Greatest Fathers Day Gift Clifton Bush 116
33 Front-Page News Virginia Chanty 120
34 Christmas Providence Eric Myers 122
35 Hope on the Line Martha Bolton 124
36 My Sisters Story Diana M. Millikan 127
37 A Miracle Cheryl Gromis 129
38 All I Want for Christmas Is… Bethany Lindgren 133
39 Mother's Intuition Christie Rogers 136
40 Special Needs Audrey Perrott 138
5 Lessons of a Lifetime
41 Mother's Day Blessing Christie Rogers 145
42 Do You Love Me as Much? Nancy Liedel 148
43 Nursing Miracle Stephen D. Rogers 151
44 He Is Mine Valerie Kay Gwin 153
45 Adoption Means… Mandy Houk 155
46 Dear Son Bridget Colern 157
47 Expecting Again Mimi Greenwood Knight 160
48 Real Patti Wade Zint 162
49 The Note Kimberly Hee Stock 166
6 Defining Moments
50 Whose Plan? Melody Davis 173
51 Life's Little Lessons Maresa Aughenbaugh 175
52 Pet Connections Ellie Porte Parker 177
53 Two Little Girls Anthony S. Tessandori 180
54 Open-Door Policy Laura Christianson 183
55 Appropriately Impolite Cathy McIlvoy 186
56 Tummy of an Angel Nancy Morse 189
57 Love's Language Cathy Cruise 191
58 Are We Crazy? Jana Thomas 194
59 Wait! What? Cori Taylor 197
7 Overcoming Obstacles
60 Parker's Story Linda Wood 203
61 The Whole Family Sandy Wright 207
62 Unstoppable Love Diana Green 210
63 Koala Bear Stefanie Johansson 213
64 Meant to Be Kelli Myers-Gottemoller 217
65 Susan, the Prophet Cindy Kauffman 220
66 A Unique Bond of Family Belinda Howard Smith 223
67 How I Got My Brother, Mitch Teresa Ambord 227
68 Love Conquers All Tina O'Reilly 231
69 Light al the End of the Tunnel Lee Varon 233
70 Special Son Alicia Britt Chole 236
71 Valentine's Day Miracle Gracie Swartzendruber 239
8 Healing
72 The Boy Keri Riley 245
73 Bring It On Christine Smith 249
74 Top Gun G. Ann Potter 251
75 Blood Ties Jody Ellis-Knapp 254
76 Eddy Alejandro Dana Woods 257
77 The Man of My Dreams Jessica Kennedy 259
78 Running To Chalise Annett Bourque 263
79 Buster Sylvia Smart 267
80 Healing Hope Paula Freeman 270
9 Gratitude
81 Mrs. Usher Roger Dean Riser 277
82 Tea in the Afternoon Nancy Bravo Creager 281
83 What Its Like to Truly Have a Mother Maria Ervin 284
84 Love Transcends Blood Linda Zou 287
85 Nine Months in My Heart Rhonda Lane Phillips 289
86 Children of Our Own Leah Cook 291
87 Dear Mom Karen C. Helmrich 293
88 I Need a Little Sister Abbey Swartzendruber 297
89 Baby T Marti Davidson Sichel 300
10 Reunion
90 Searching Nancy Liedel 307
91 Two Paths for Two Daughters Ruthan Josten 310
92 It Was You Ana Hays McCracken 313
93 The Answer Priscilla Miller 316
94 Lessons from the Trees Edward Dow Bartling Martinez 318
95 She Held Me for the Longest Time Amy Baldwin 322
96 What Happened to Those Babies? Bree Cutting Sibbel 325
97 Urban Cowgirl Isabel Harris 328
98 Relentless Jess Wiederholt 332
99 Helping and Loving Orphans Betty Tisdale ThuVan Tisdale DeBellis 336
100 Greatest Blessing Colleen Bonds 342
101 219 Children Bert Ballard 345
Meet Our Contributors 348
Meet Amy Newmark 365
Meet LeAnn Thieman 367
Thank You 369
About Chicken Soup for the Soul 370
